East Bernstadt man charged with fatally shooting brother

Janie Slaven, The Sentinel Echo, London, Ky.
·1 min read

Dec. 4—The Laurel County Sheriff's Office is reporting the arrest of a local man accused in the fatal shooting of his brother on Friday.

Bailey Wilson Smith, 56, of East Bernstadt, was taken into custody without incident at around 10:30 p.m. on a warrant charging him with the murder of 59-year-old Grant Smith of London.

According to Sheriff John Root, Bailey Smith was arrested by LCSO Deputy Skylar McFarland along with Dep. Byron Grimes and K-9 Dep. Brian France with assistance from Kentucky State Police and London City Police after he was located at a business off US 25 about a half-mile north of London.

LCSO Detective Taylor McDaniel is leading the investigation, which began at approximately 4:17 p.m. Friday afternoon at a residence off Old Crab Orchard Road around 1.5 miles north of London.

Investigators with the Laurel County Sheriff's Office/London City Police Major Crimes Task Force were advised that a dispute between the brothers led to Bailey shooting Grant then fleeing the scene still armed with a pistol.

Following Bailey Smith's arrest, according to LCSO, Dep. France and his K-9 Maverick located the apparent murder weapon shortly after midnight in the Pittsburg Cemetery about a mile north of London.

Bailey Smith has been lodged in the Laurel County Correctional Center in lieu of a $500,000 bond.